What do the tugs in Lake Charles do?
[QUOTE=Ocean31;106917]It is all in a cycle. You just have to know what you are getting yourself into when you
go to the oilfield.
I went back out to the oilfield in 2001, I remember tellingmy family we had to put
money away, because layoffs were common, just a fact oflife. Here is a breakdown of
the cycle as I experienced it. Please! the months/exact year may be a different for you,
this is just to showhow the cycle goes both for the oilfield and non oilfields boats. Mind
you boats, not deep water big ship mariners.
In 2001 Companiesstill hiring, actually hiring hard even right after the 9/11 attack,
late 2001 Three months later (thereabout) stock market crashes oil drops to below 16
a barrel, gasoline at99 cents a gallon, Layoffs rampant. Things are hard for nearly two
years
Oilfield is slowly coming back, pay is stagnate, but layoffsare over with. Oil gets above
23 a barrel, 2003
Some payraises, not a lot, but things are looking brighter. Stockmarket has regained most
losses 2004
Decent payraises, New Master of Tow regulations well inplace. OSV companies
keeping pay up not to lose mariners to the tugs, Many mariners whom left the oilfield in
2001 are starting to come back, and the first cracks in thejob openings for non oilfield
jobs are starting toappear. 2006
Jobs are wide open, two arms, two legs and a license, you got a job. Bigger non oilfield
companies like Moran. Penn and so on are hiring based upon resume and license. No
longer is it a caseof whom you know. 2007
Beginning of 2008, jobs are still wide open, however as the year progress, there is signs
things are beginning to slow down. The market is flooded with new marinerstrying to
get in.
End of 2008, Marketcrashes. Hiring stops, pretty welleverywhere.
Beginning of 2009, Layoffs rampant in oilfield, Marinerstrying to get back to non
oilfield jobs.
2009 through 2011. Stagnatewages, jobs scarce.
2011 through 2012. Oilfield begins to come back, stock market has regained most losses
jobs available and as2012 progresses pay begins to rise for high demand jobs such as
DP (see 2005/06 effect of MOT requirements)
2012 Jobs widely availablefor competent experienced mariners. ManyMariners that got
jobs on non oilfieldcompanies are starting to come back to the oilfield because of 100 to
150 dollar a day pay difference.
Late 2012, Loss of Mariners to oilfield jobs beginning toaffect non oilfield jobs. Prime
and first example is Crowley, since they are one of theworse paying jobs.
Okayā¦ā¦so now what happens, For an unknown period of time, pay will continue to
increase in the oilfield and jobs will be available. As this trend continues, jobs in non
oilfield companieswill become available. However pay increasesin non oilfield jobs
will not occur until the trend in loss of mariners to the oilfieldhas gone on for years.
Remember, no company increases pay until they cannotget hands. Each company is
different on how bad it is has to get, and for how long theywill hire poor quality mariners
at existing wages. Only after they (the companies) have no choice, will they increase
pay.
SOā¦ā¦it is kind of like playing the stock market, you buy when everyone is selling. Sell
when everyone else isbuying. You go now to the oilfield andmake your day rate. But
watch the non oilfield jobs. Especially a company you always wanted to work at such as
Moran/Penn/Reinhauer. When the next cycle occurs, you will have alreadymoved
back to non oilfield jobs where layoffs are rare. You will lose some money on pay when
you move back, but the job security is there. And if job security is the most important
thing to you, you can go now to the worst paying nonoilfield jobs such as Crowley liner
service. But rememberone thing, if you are older, (late 40sand on) it is much harder to
make the jumps. Soā¦ā¦you may want to keep that in mind and choose job security over
pay scale
As the commercial on TV says, My experience, results may vary. No guarantee this
[FONT=āTimes New Romanā] product worksfor everyoneā¦ā¦
Ocean31[/FONT][/QUOTE]
Well said!
Hey sailormatt, Iād love to talk with you more and get some more info from you about this topic.
Isnāt the jax and Phila the run were they feel you out? The they send you to the ocean class? All the boats are SIU right? Even the assist boats in Alaska?
No they donāt feel you out & let you move from the wire boats to the atbās. The ocean class are contract boats & yes itās SIU. Theyāve got mates on the wire boats who canāt handle the boats light, much less doing wire work. Lots of paperwork & crap pay.
Maybe thatās because the captain doesnāt like the look of the mate.
Let me have men about me that are fat,
Sleek-headed men and such as sleep a-nights.
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look,
He thinks too much; such men are dangerous
-William Shakespeare - Julius Caeser Act 1, Scene 2.
The mates their donāt wanna do much I learned. I made a few trips & did my own wire work there & was asked to be a capt trainee. I declined cause low $$ & insurance.
They have been looking for people for this run for awhile. I find it hard to believe that the turn over is that great. I worked with a captain that had worked for Crowley, he made this run then they move him to another boat when they realized that he knew how to run a boat. From my understanding most people have nothing but great things to say about Crowley. The ocean class boats looks like nice equipment.
Nope, as posted earlier in this thread many are MMP and IBU, including the assist boats in Alaska.
I re-read and missed that. The only reason Asking questions is because id love to work ion the new ocean class boats, I think that could be good duty.
It is my understanding that the Ocean class boats are SIU.
They are cause they are based out of lake Charles.
[QUOTE=shipwreck63;120862]Hey sailormatt, Iād love to talk with you more and get some more info from you about this topic.[/QUOTE]
Ask away!! I will give you any info I have.
How hard is it to get on with crowely? Iām working for Kirby inland right now. I just got my ab unlimited. I went to the website but it said that there are currently no positions open at this time.
Transfer to Kirby Offshore
Crowley still has a Lake Charles presence? I thought that they shut that operation down years ago.
Crowley Pay Scale for the Ocean Class Tugs
Base pay is at the dock
Master
Non DPO: Base 496.32 Underway 620.40
DP1 546.23/682.90
DP2 606.32/757.90
CHIEF MATE
NON DPO: Base 379.32 Underway 474.15
DP1 429.32/536.65
DP2 489.32/611.65
2ND MATE
NON DP: Base 322.56 Underway 403.20
DP1 372.56/465.70
DP2 432.56/540.70
They pay you less at dock? So much for trying to get on with them. Itās a shame they seems like nice equipment.
I couldnāt agree more. What a joke! I donāt know why you would put up with that with a Unlimited DPO cert. Try and get on with a company that doesnāt have a BS pay scale like that. Nice tugs though.
I truly find this hard to believe,but canāt argue, because itās right in front of my eyes. A co worker of mine said this is common practice with some boat companies on the west coast. The boats must not go in DP that much, how can the expect people to even get there cert? Like he said, no way any person in their right mind sign up for this.